The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XX

Pros of COVID19: Time to write
Cons of COVID19: Er, everything else

Also, for everyone who wanted to see more of Zuko/Toph fake dating shenanigans...be careful what you ask for ;)

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At first, there was just silence. The only sounds were the panting guard and the needle that dropped from Katara's fingers onto the ground. Aiga stared at the guard, as though he was speaking Ancient Air Nomadic to her instead of the common tongue, frowning as her lips parted softly.

"What?"

Her voice was more confused than fearful or sad than anything else. It was a sign that something had not connected, something was lost in translation, not alighting all the many things in Aiga's brain. Katara's mind was whirling and screaming and shouting, but Aiga was just staring.

And, after Aiga murmured that scant question, she would be quiet for a long time after.

"Your family. Lady Ursa..." The guard was puffing. "A neighbor found me. I came to inform you."

"Lady Ursa wants us to come," he finally managed, unable to articulate anything else yet. Katara grabbed a soft blanket from her bed, threw it around Aiga's shoulders, and led her outside.

She thought that the young girl may be in shock.

Ursa was waiting for them in a small meeting room, wrapped in a night robe, her hair pulled back from her face. She looked deadly serious.

"Have some tea. You look frightfully pale," Ursa said, handing a steaming cup to Aiga, who was still just staring ahead, the color completely drained from her face. "Thank you, Princess Katara, for bringing her."

"What happened?" Katara asked for she felt that Aiga was in no position to be asking any sort of questions.

"The Equalists came into her house," Ursa began, "An Uncle found a guard and thought Aiga should be notified."

"Are we sure it was them? There are quite a lot of other nefarious groups lurking around that area..." Katara realized her folly immediately. "Or, erm, so Aiga's told me," she lied quickly.

"They left a calling card," The guard said, chugging a glass of water and sinking into a chair, "They wanted us to know."

"Unfortunately." Ursa's face was pinched. She looked at Aiga. Aiga was staring right at Ursa, frowning, waiting. Ursa closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face. "Out of the family and relatives in the house - and we went in to find twelve living there - three were killed. Four, I personally escorted to the hospital on the second circle, and the rest are waiting there too."

"Who died?" Katara pulled back the memory of all those who looked like Aiga from when she and Zuko had gone to her home. It seemed like ages ago.

"From what I understood, her grandfather, one of her aunts, and a..." Ursa swallowed hard, and Katara saw a glimmering tear in the corner of her eye. "...a six-year-old nephew."

"Spirits," Katara choked out, "Were there other attacks?"

"As of now...I don't believe so. We have not gotten any word of other family attacks from the Equalists unless my guards have not had a chance to report it back. Or, perhaps, people are not willing to admit to such things. However, I doubt it. This seemed..."

"Specific," Katara finished. Her mouth went absolutely dry. "But...why?"

"I do not know. I was hoping Aiga may help?" Ursa asked gently. Aiga just kept staring at her, her face now twisted. Her lip trembled.